Jones — On Birds of Cedar Point. 121 



45. Botaiiriis Icnti<;ii}OSiis. — Bittern. 



A common breeder in tlie marslies. Tlie first arrive near the first 

 of April, more often after tlian l)efore, and most have gone south 

 by the middle of October (21st, last, 1907). I have never been for- 

 tunate enough to find a nest, but if one can judge of the nesting 

 place b.v the presence of the birds, it is among the rankest vegeta- 

 tion where human progress is made next to impossible by the depth 

 of the muck and the deuseness of the brakes and cattails. Dur- 

 ing the courting season the air is often palpitant with the peculiar 

 mate call. Occasionally one may see three birds rise suddenly 

 from the vegetation in swift chasing flight, and suddenly disap- 

 pear again into the vegetation. During the migrations indi- 

 viduals are frequently found in any wet place, even in the deep 

 gorges. In early fall they wander into the streams well toward 

 I heir sources, and fish for frogs in the o])en borders of the stream. 

 It is on such occasions that they can be studied to advantage, 

 for they are not able to hide themselves in the vegetation. 



-Ki. I.rohrychiis exilis. — Least Bittern. 



Tolerabl.v common in the marshes all summer. M.v records in- 

 dicate that the migrations occiir about the first of May. On April 

 2."i, 1004, one reniianed perched in a tree on the Oberlin College 

 cam])us all day, appearing to be exhausted from a long flight. This 

 earlier date may indicate that the actual first wave of migrants 

 passes .iust before the greatest wave of migration, which usually 

 sweeps through this region during the hrst week in May. I have 

 never been able to find this bird after the breeding season. While 

 ojie may always be certain of finding a considerable number of this 

 Bittern in the marshes in sunnner, it is nowhere as numerous as I 

 have always found it at the Licking Reservoir, near the center of 

 the state. Its nest is skillfully placed among the rushes and reeds 

 about four feet from the siu'face of the water, with no runway 

 leading down. The birds fly easily and are able to reach the nest 

 without danger of knocking it out. 



47. A idea hcrodias. — Great Blue Heron. 



Regular, but hardly common, fi-om aI)out March 20 to October 20. 

 Most records are of single birds seen flying, ])ut occasionally two 

 are seen together, and in the fall it is not unusual to see a com- 

 pany of a dozen or fewer birds on the beach or about the fish 

 l)ounds. There must be a small nesting jilace somewhere near Ce- 

 dar Point, but it has never been discovered to my knowledge. I 

 have never seen a nest of this species in the area under considera- 

 tion. During August these birds frequent the river gorges, where 

 they are pretty certain to meet death at the hands of some "man 

 with a gun." 



